COHORT W – Season 5: A Legacy of Service

Welcome to Season 5 of COHORT W! I am your host, CW3 Marcus Harvey, an Army Warrant Officer, educator, and Warrant Officer Historical Foundation Fellow with a long-standing interest in Army history and the Warrant Officer profession.

Across the season, I will chat with historians and today’s Warrant Officers to explore how experience, trust, and technical expertise have shaped the Army across branches and generations. The conversations connect past lessons to present-day service and look ahead to the future of the force.

Produced in partnership with the Warrant Officer Historical Foundation, A Legacy of Service isn’t just about history; it’s about understanding where the profession comes from and why it continues to matter, often outside the spotlight.

If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about military history, leadership, and the people who keep complex systems running, this season is worth a listen.

🎵 Credits

🎼 Theme MusicComposed by SFC (Ret) Joshua DiStefano🔗 https://www.joshdistefano.com/

🎺 Ceremonial Music

Provided by The United States Army Band🔗 https://www.usarmyband.com/ceremonial-music-guide

🎙️ Editing Support

DeAndre Gaines

Point of Contact: Deandre.m.gaines@gmail.com

🔥 Top Resources for Warrant Officers

📖 Strength in Knowledge – Warrant Officer Journal

Explore current ideas, innovations, and research from across the Warrant Officer cohort.

🔗https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Warrant-Officer-Journal/

🏛️ Warrant Officer Historical Foundation (WOHF)

Learn more about the legacy and future of the Warrant Officer Cohort—and how you can support programs like this podcast.

🔗 https://www.warrantofficerhistory.org/

📲 Follow WOHF on Social Media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wohf1918

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WOHF1918

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/warrant-officer-historical-foundation/

🏫 United States Army Warrant Officer Career College (USAWOCC)

Explore Warrant Officer education, training, and course offerings.

🔗 https://armyuniversity.edu/wocc/courses?p=Overview

🤝 United States Army Warrant Officer Association (USAWOA)

Stay connected with your professional association.

🔗 https://usawoa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnitedStatesArmyWarrantOfficerAssociation co

https://www.warrantofficerhistory.org/

Preserve and educate!

In this Season 4 finale, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jessie Morlan returns with a unique perspective—as both host and student. After completing the eight-week 420A Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC) alongside newly appointed Warrant Officers from across all Army components, CW4 Morlan captures a moment of transformation within Warrant Officer Professional Military Education (PME).

This episode introduces the WOBC Project, a two-phase effort to document and reflect on the experiences of current WO1s—the very generation of Warrant Officers who will be most impacted by PME modernization. You'll hear directly from students in the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve as they share candid insights from their early PME journey.

📌 Phase 1 captures their thoughts during the initial weeks of the course—expectations, surprises, and first impressions.
📌 Phase 2, recorded two weeks after graduation, reflects on what they've learned, how it's applied in their new assignments, and their recommendations for shaping PME to meet the demands of future warfighting and sustainment.

From fresh perspectives to experienced reflections, this episode amplifies the voices of those who matter most in the evolution of Warrant Officer training—the students themselves.

🔥 Top Resources for Warrant Officers

📖 Strength in Knowledge Journal – Warrant Officer Journal
Explore current ideas, innovations, and research from across the cohort.
🔗 Read Now

🏛️ Warrant Officer Historical Foundation (WOHF)
Learn more about the legacy and future of the Warrant Officer Cohort and how you can support programs like this podcast.
🔗 Visit warrantofficerhistory.org

📲 Follow WOHF on Social Media

• Instagram: @WOHF1918
• Twitter: @WOHF1918
• LinkedIn: Warrant Officer Historical Foundation

🏫 United States Army Warrant Officer Career College (USAWOCC)
Explore Warrant Officer education, training, and course offerings.
🔗 USAWOCC Overview

🤝 United States Army Warrant Officer Association (USAWOA)
Stay connected with your professional association.
🔗 Visit usawoa.org
Facebook: United States Army Warrant Officer Association

🎵 Credits

🎼 Theme
Composed by SFC(R) Joshua DiStefano
🔗 joshdistefano.com

🎺 Ceremonial Music
Provided by The U.S. Army Band
🔗https://www.usarmyband.com/ceremonial-music-guide

https://www.warrantofficerhistory.org/

Preserve and educate!

In this powerful episode of COHORT W, we spotlight one of the key voices behind the future of 420A Professional Military Education, Chief Warrant Officer Two Josh Ricker.

A combat-proven Human Resources Technician with assignments across the 82nd Airborne Division, 1st Special Forces Command, and the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), CW2 Ricker brings unmatched experience from both the operational force and the classroom. Currently serving as an instructor at the Adjutant General School at Fort Jackson, he's leading from the front in transforming how the Army trains its HR Warrant Officers.

CW2 Ricker has just completed teaching the final WOBC class under the legacy curriculum and is now preparing to launch the new, modernized 420A program of instruction this October. As a contributing member of the Critical Task Site Selection Board (CTSSB), he played a direct role in identifying what needed to change and shaping how the next generation of 420As will be prepared for warfighting and combat-readiness.

In this episode, CW2 Ricker shares:

• What's changing in the new 420A PME—and why it matters
• Firsthand insight from the field and how it's influencing doctrine
• The importance of systems mastery, data fluency, and digital readiness
• A candid reflection on teaching today's Warrant Officers for tomorrow's battlefield
• His advice for PME designers, skeptics of change, and future HR leaders

Whether you're a new Warrant Officer, PME instructor, AG senior leader, or simply passionate about readiness and transformation, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Army HR education is evolving from one of the AG Corps' most thoughtful and battle-tested instructors.

🔥 Top Resources for Warrant Officers

📖 Strength in Knowledge Journal – Warrant Officer Journal
Explore current ideas, innovations, and research from across the cohort.
🔗 Read Now

🏛️ Warrant Officer Historical Foundation (WOHF)
Learn more about the legacy and future of the Warrant Officer Cohort and how you can support programs like this podcast.
🔗 Visit warrantofficerhistory.org

📲 Follow WOHF on Social Media

• Instagram: @WOHF1918
• Twitter: @WOHF1918
• LinkedIn: Warrant Officer Historical Foundation

🏫 United States Army Warrant Officer Career College (USAWOCC)
Explore Warrant Officer education, training, and course offerings.
🔗 USAWOCC Overview

🤝 United States Army Warrant Officer Association (USAWOA)
Stay connected with your professional association.
🔗 Visit usawoa.org
Facebook: United States Army Warrant Officer Association

🎵 Credits

🎼 Theme
Composed by SFC(R) Joshua DiStefano
🔗 joshdistefano.com

🎺 Ceremonial Music
Provided by The U.S. Army Band
🔗https://www.usarmyband.com/ceremonial-music-guide

https://www.warrantofficerhistory.org/

Preserve and educate!